A triumph against the odds: Les Troyens at the BBC Proms

Lionel Lhote and Alice Coote

Dinis Sousa conducts the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique

Dinis Sousa and Michael Spyres

Alice Coote and the Monteverdi Choir in the Act 2 finale

By Mark Valencia, 04 September 2023

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“the prodigious mezzo-soprano has seldom sounded more glorious than she did here”

Reviewed at Royal Albert Hall, London on 3 September 2023

Berlioz, Les Troyens (The Trojans) (concert performance; sung in French with English surtitles)

Dinis Sousa, Conductor

Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique

Monteverdi Choir

Michael Spyres, Énée

Alice Coote, Cassandre, Ghost of Cassandre

Paula Murrihy, Didon

Lionel Lhote, Chorèbe, Ghost of Chorèbe

Ashley Riches, Panthée

Adèle Charvet, Ascagne

Alex Rosen, Narbal, Mercure, Ghost of Hector

Beth Taylor, Anna

Rebecca Evans, Hecuba

Laurence Kilsby, Hylas, Iopas

Tristan Hambleton, Priam

Richard Jones' clunky Samson et Dalila returns to Covent Garden

Dominic Lowe, 13th May

With Aigul Akhmetshina and Seokjong Baek in the title roles, there are reasons to be optimistic, but The Royal Opera's revival of Richard Jones' production is a mixed bag.

***11

Reality television: ENO’s Angel’s Bone in Manchester

Lawrence Dunn, 12th May

Kip Williams and ENO mount an extraordinary new production of Du Yun and Royce Vavrek’s multifaceted opera, with performances of great emotional directness broadcast live on camera.

*****

Sir Thomas Allen’s Figaro for Scottish Opera still entertains

David Smythe, 9th May

A traditional Marriage of Figaro entertains with a strong cast, eye-catching design and lighting, and Amanda Holden’s earthy libretto.

****1

Sasha Cooke brings sharp intelligence to Seattle Opera’s Carmen

Thomas May, 8th May

Sasha Cooke’s thoughtful role debut anchors Paul Curran’s visually and musically alert but dramatically uneven production.

****1

Rossini’s Cenerentola proves great fun in Adelaide

Sandra Bowdler, 7th May

Neil Armfield’s production for State Opera South Australia combines a sparkling night of entertainment with first class musical values.

****1

Welsh National Opera’s Dutchman docks in Birmingham

Rohan Shotton, 7th May

This bracing performance of The Flying Dutchman is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary musical standards which are at risk in the face of WNO’s subsidy cuts.

****1

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Mark Valencia

Mark has worked in arts journalism for four decades, both as a writer and as a French-English translator. Nowadays he focuses his energies on reviewing opera and music. Mark also writes for Opera magazine and for Musical America as a correspondent for Europe and the UK.